Loss
by ga-mei
Summary: Korra reflects on the events that have just happened. post ep. 7 Korrasami friendship, slight Masami, onesided Makorra/Borra


Korra reflects on the events that have just happened.

Korrasami friendship, implied Masami, onesided Makorra, onesided Borra

Spoilers for ep. 7

* * *

Korra stood there, watching as Mako held Asami. The rage and concentration that Asami had worn on her face while taking down the Equalists was long gone, replaced by distraught and remorse. The tall girl's frame was shaking in Mako's arms; Korra could hear the small hiccups of her sobs and she noticed how the neat, manicured nails clutched onto Mako's jacket as if for dear life.

Asami was suffering from loss. Korra licked her lips a little, glancing back at Lin and Tenzin. It was at that moment that she realized...she'd never known a true loss. She'd always had people taking care of her, her parents were still alive, anyone she'd ever known was still alive. And yet, everyone surrounding her had suffered huge losses.

Lin's mother.

Tenzin's father.

Bolin and Mako's parents.

And now Asami's parents as well.

Why was this concept so difficult to grasp?

The base of her foot could vaguely feel the airship begin to descend as they approached air temple island, and Korra's hands clenched into a fist. She felt angry, but a reason she couldn't quite pinpoint. To distract herself, she moved towards Asami and Mako, gently placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Ah...when we land, just follow me. You and I will be sharing a room, Asami." Korra hadn't anticipated for a third to be staying with them, it had never occurred to her that Asami would need a place to stay after all this. But by no means was she going to throw Asami onto the street, not out of guilt, simply because she genuinely did want the girl to stay with her.

Even with puffy red eyes and smeared purple eyeshadow, Asami looked gorgeous. Her mascara didn't run and the most damage to her eyeliner was that it all ran to the corners of her eyes in sort of a puddle. "Thank you so much Korra," Asami's voice was broken and soft, cracking at certain points. Korra felt a knot tug at her stomach, and she gave a slow nod before leaving the two.

Bolin slipped an arm around Korra, and while she wasn't particularly fond of the gesture, she allowed it. "How do you think she's feeling?" Korra asked in a whisper, gently pressing her thumb against her chin. She stared straight forward, her eyes tracking the grooves of the sheets of metal that composed the walls of the ship.

"Come again?" Bolin murmured, bringing his ear closer to her mouth. "Sorry I didn't catch you there," he apologized, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Oh, I just asked how you think she's feeling." Korra repeated, her eyes flickering with internal conflict. "I can't imagine what Asami's even feeling right now." She admitted in a shameful tone. "I've never known loss before."

Bolin was silent for a moment, and that scared Korra. Usually he was quick to speak, almost as if he always knew what to say. But not this time. "I think..." he began, trailing off slightly. "I think that she's extremely lost right now. I don't think she wanted to be an equalist, but she's probably pondering the 'what if's of the situation. What if this happened, what if something different happened. She's probably distraught. Metaphorically speaking. Today she lost her father, and she realized he's not who she thought he was." Korra began to feel uncomfortable with the words Bolin was speaking. They all seemed true, and for a moment she was impressed that he took the question so seriously. Her hand lightly removed his from around her and she gave it a gentle squeeze before placing it by his side.

"I have never known loss before." Korra shook her head a little bit.

"Then you're lucky." He simply replied.

They docked then, and everyone slowly shuffled out of the boat. Tenzin helped Lin out, and Korra didn't wait for either of them. There was a part of her that felt extremely lost and detached, and she didn't know how to pinpoint the source of the emotion at all.

The air was cool on Air Temple Island, and the sun had long set, meaning that the new house guests would be spared the excitement and hype that the cloud babies brought until the morning. Korra entered the compound with her friends in tow, sliding open a door. "Mako and Bolin, you'll be sharing a room at the end of the hall on the left. Asami, you can come with me." Asami latched onto Mako for a few moments longer, and she noticed him whispering something into her ear. The brunette nodded vigorously.

Korra no longer found herself disgusted by their togetherness. At this point she wasn't sure if it was Mako she wanted as much as the intimate companionship that he and Asami shared. But she knew it was in her best interest to not interfere any further. If things happened, they happened.

Asami broke away from Korra and hesitantly followed her down the hall. Asami's footsteps were quiet behind Korra, the only sound was her hand slowly raking up and down the fabric on her arm. A trait of nervousness or anxiety. "Sorry, the accommodations are...lush...but they'll do." Korra felt the need to apologize for some reason. As foreign as taking Mako and Bolin from poverty had been, thrusting them into a life of wealth, Korra felt just as foreign taking Asami from her life of wealth, thrusting her into a spiritual, temple-esque life. Where they had nothing but at the same time everything.

"Anything is better than nothing." Asami answered quietly, causing Korra's gut to wrench. As she slid open the door, it finally hit her.

Apart from Mako, Asami didn't have anything. Asami had been raised in a life of wealth, getting everything handed to her on a silver platter whether she wanted it that way or not. She had lost a mother, and in turn formed a close bond with her father. Her father, a man who was something utterly different than she thought he was. He'd betrayed her and left her in the dark, forcing her to choose between good and evil, while attempting to use the leverage of blood-ties to sway her vote.

Then something else hit Korra. She'd kissed Mako, and guessing by the fact that Asami and Mako were still together, Asami didn't know. At all. Her blue eye widened at the fact, and she near blurt it out at that moment. But she didn't. And she knew exactly why she'd withheld. Because as important as the truth is to tell Asami of the disloyalty, she couldn't bear to take way the last thing the girl had. Which was hope and trust in Mako.

Korra knew she'd have to talk to Mako about it. But not now. Now she had to focus on Asami. She had to be a friend to Asami, who at this point deserved it more than anyone else she'd ever met.

"Thank you Asami." Korra whispered. Confused green eyes met hers, and Korra waved her hand dismissively. "For you know, saving our butts back there. Without you we wouldn't be here." She eyed the girl carefully, watching as Asami with-held tears.

"It's no problem, Avatar Korra."

Korra nodded her head. She was the Avatar. Until that moment, she had focused on the power and fame it had brought her. The title had allowed her benefits no other could possibly imagine, power that most couldn't even dream of. But at that moment, Korra realized the weight that being the Avatar held. Thinking of Asami's distraught face as she realized her father was an Equalist, Tahno's hopeless features as he sat in the police station to be questioned, those things had to be stopped. It was her battle to fight, and she needed to make sure that she served her duty to Republic City to ensure that no more citizens felt the loss that those around her had.

"Hey Asami?"

"Yeah?"

"Everything is going to be okay. I promise."

"...I know. Thank you."


End file.
